Reviews by BrewMaster:

Poured a dark amber red with very little head on it. The aroma has a bit of sour malt scent and is a bit hoppy. The flavor is sweet and the malt profuile is sharp. Very little carbonation in the beer. It may have been lost due to a poor seal on the bottle. This made the beer seem kind of thin and uneventful in the mouth.

This beer is meant to be drank very soon after bottling, like within a month. Since the bottle I had was made in April and it's now November, I think a lot of flavor was lost due to time.

More User Reviews:

Poured into a standard pint glass a rich bronze color with a hint of brownish hue a well formed creamy 1/2 finger white head atop,interesting herbal aromas almost vegetal in character a roasted nut character lends itself well to the uniquiness of the aromas.Lightly sweet flavors that of molasses and brown sugar up front with a nutty base a very nice herbal/peppery sharpness really comes thru in the finish really really nice.This is probably one of the standards if not the standard of the style and it shows why light but complex and very flavorful,kick ass.

Appearance  This one is clear with a solid brown color and a foaming head that showed incredible retention. It left some cool lacing on the inside of my Pils glass, which I sacrilegiously used just for the hell of it.

Smell  The malts here are heavier than what youd expect in an Altbier, but of course this is the double secret delicious drop. The sweets are muted at this point, but the hops are actually quite large.

Taste  Yes, this is a Düsseldorf classic. Its much bigger than a normal Altbier, although you could still probably session it. The alcohol is incognito. The malts are big and bitter, adding to the bitterness from the hops. This one also has a big brown sugary kick at the end, giving away the location of the brewery.

Mouthfeel  The Doppelsticke is on the big side of medium-bodied yet still very sessionable. The flavors and mouthfeel fall rightly in order.

Drinkability  This is a little bigger than I prefer my Altbiers, but it sure lives up to its billing. If you want to try an Altbier on steroids than this is it. You could probably even cellar this is you wanted.

Bottled on 04.18. Served in a tall cylinder glass.
Aroma: Very strong, rich caramel aromas. Some roast.
Apperance: Crystal clear, copper orange, with a dirty white head.
Flavor: There is something about this beer that I do not like. It really hits the sides of my tounge. It is very bitter, but that fades fast, and there is some roast character there.
Palate: Very drying, and that my be what I dont like the most about it.
Overall: I would prefer a fuller, rounder drink from an alt. Is that off base?

Attractive, brown, swingtop bottle pours a hazy, bronze amber body with a 3 cm ivory head that retains well and deposits massive sheet and patch lacing. Quite impressive to behold.

Aroma has a caramel maltiness that is balanced by a fresh, floral hop character.

Mouthfeel has lively carbonation and a light to medium body.

The taste comes off as very well balanced. Lots of fresh tasting hops lend a herbal and floral bitterness that combine very well with the malt varieties used in this Dusseldorf gem. No hint of alcohol, but none expected at 4.5%. A very refreshing, and very enjoyable altbier. The hops never overwhelm, and lend an ideal balance that results in a clasic Alt. Very drinkable!

L: brilliant chestnut with ruby high lights under a thin cream to tan foam cap with moderate retention.

T: initial faint trace of diacetyl (movie popcorn butter) on the palate that quickly fades. Dark malts and nuts dominate the palate with some fruit and spice leading to a crisp, dry finish. The malt flavors are medium in intensity, layered and complex and linger into the finish. The hop flavors are spicy and floral, medium to medium low in intensity with a medium hop bitterness. There are no harsh or roasted flavors.

The bottle came with a caveat from the vendor (Belmont Station): to be drunk very cold, not to let it warm up. This seemed strange to me, and perhaps the first warning sign that this sample was not all it could be. The beer pours a shadowy waxy amber with a substantial head that melts away and leaves a small amount of intricate lace on the glass. Nearly invisible musty aroma, which had all the fleeting substance of a disremembered dream. Some caramel malts up front, tempered with a winey roundness, a gentle nutty flavor, and a light apple quality. A deep-down roastiness reveals itself reluctantly, but adds a twinge of smoke and perhaps coffee. The taste, in itself, actually seems a bit hollow, with a rolling grassy bitterness in the finish that makes up a large part of the flavor. I found this to be an intriguing, enveloping beer, and was impressed by many of its complexities, but it wasn't as likeable as I hoped it would be. This bottle is the second time I've tried the beer; the first was a disastrously sour cask served at the Horse Brass. Based on the elusiveness of this bottled sample, I can only conclude that the beer is best when absolutely fresh, and travelling across both the Atlantic Ocean and the continental U.S. has done this beer absolutely no favors.

Pours a rich, deep caramel body, clear, with an almond milk coloured head that has a couple minutes retention. Very light aroma, only a mild malty sweetness.
Dull flavour, a bit cardboardy, pithy bitterness and super dry. Long finish. Medium body and carbonation.
The simple toasted malt flavour and dryness make this a highly sessionable beer, and it's merits become more apparent over time. It's not going to wow you, but it would be a decent choice if you were going to have a few steins over the course of the night.

Malty aroma with a touch of sweet fruit on a deep inhale. A nice dark amber color. When the glass is sirled, a really intense sweetness is released, I can't place it, but wonderfully pungent. Thin off-white head. First taste on the palate is malt, a bit grainy and this is good. The hops give a nice medium bitterness and good froth heightens them to a strong hoppy finish. First Alt I've had from a bottle in a long time and this is obviously a flagship standard. Very good for quaffing 2+. I do not believe this is a bottle conditioned ale, but mine had some particles in it, no off-flavors though.
Cheers, Joe

Pours a hazy rustic copper color with a one-finger pitted white head. The head eventually settles into a thin layer of bubbles on top and a medium-sized ring around the glass. Lacing is good.

Smells of lightly toasted caramel malt with hints of light fruits and bitterness.

Tastes similar to how it smells. The toasted caramel malts are front and center and cover up other flavors a bit too much until the beer warms, then light fruit flavors come out a bit more. There's a solid bitter ending.

Mouthfeel is very good for such a low ABV. Good thickness and creamy carbonation make this go down easily.

Drinkability is good. The flavors take a short while to get accustomed to, but I finished my glass with no problem.

Overall I was impressed - I believe this is only my second Altbier and the first wasn't as true to the style as this. Definitely give this one a shot.

(Served in an American pint glass)
the label says bottled in 1404
A- This beer has a slight hazy nut brown body with a thin broken film of a head. The haze is to thick to see any carbonation.

S- the smell of sweet honeycomb has a light caramel note to it.

T- The taste of slightly sweet honey malt has a nice dry pale malt note. The finish is a smooth dark coffee malt hint that is a bit watery in taste. There is a soft medium Noble hop bitterness that balances the malt nicely.

M- this beer has a medium-light mouthfeel that is watery with a light fizz note in the finish.

D- This beer has some nice malt notes but they are very light and could be a bit more bold.

A mildly hazy deep golden-copper. The head is ducked-down; a large-bubbled dirty white.
The nose is ripe with dry, grainy malts, and dampened sweet caramel ones. Along with loud herb-encrusted hopping.
Taste begins dry- pils-esque for a moment- and full of crackers. Deepens with caramel, but never turns very sweet. An absolute deluge of nuts rain down. Walnuts and almonds and Brazils. Hopping is crisp and loud. There is a sense of molten metal, gold perhaps, or brass. Back to nature upon conclusion, autumnal fields with withering flowers and wind-whipped brown grasses.
And it lingers.

Refined, then refined again.
Cite "lack of complexity"? You're wrong. This runs deeper than beers 3 times its size. The restraint and harmony here are unmatched.

If not for the price, this would be my "anytime" beer. The only two places $4 disappears faster are casinos and strip clubs. And it depends on the Strip Club.

Just goddamn delicious. Perhaps even more so than the Sticke.
Or perhaps not.
Both are Galaxy-class.

Extraordinary easy drink, with lots of carmel and malt but also bitterness, nicely hopped, citrus. Brown with Big head that lasts, and provides creamy ball of foam on way down. Malty and citrus aroma. Finishes with pleasant lingering sweetness. Lovely anytime.

I will preface this review with this, I have never had an Altbier before and also this is my first BA review. So with that said, I had this wonderful beer at the Brickstore Pub in Decatur GA yesterday. It was served to me in proper glassware a .2L glass with the breweries name printed on it. Small was of sweet malt which is something I normally don't like. I would also say that I was almost put off cause it had a hint of skunkyness to it. Once I tasted it thought the thought of that was quickly gone. It had a very nice caramel taste with just enough bitterness to round it out. The aftertaste was something I can't put my finger on, some kind of warm fruit that's just not distinguishable to me. Overall a wonderful beer that I will be wanting again soon. I might have to find a homebrew recipe for this, so I can always have some on the shelf!